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Bridge Conference Abstracts Due Soon

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Surface preparation and high-performance coating systems are among the topics for papers being sought for the 28th annual International Bridge Conference, scheduled for June 2011 in Pittsburgh.

Oct. 15 is the deadline for submitting abstracts for papers to the conference, sponsored by the Engineers' Society of Western Pennsylvania and considered the premier international event for bridge industry professionals. The conference annually attracts more than 1,600 bridge owners and engineers, senior policy makers, government officials, bridge designers, construction executives and suppliers from around the world. In 2010, participants came from 48 states and 17 countries.

The 2011 event, set for June 5-8, will feature technical sessions, workshops, seminars, a contractors' forum, and more.

Authors are eligible to earn additional Professional Development Hours. The ESWP has been recognized as a Continuing Education Provider by many state licensing boards, including the Florida Board of Professional Engineers.

Topics of Interest

In addition to surface preparation and protective coatings systems, IBC is requesting abstracts on a wide variety of topics, including:

• Bridge Maintenance Programs
• Construction Techniques & Planning
• Design/Build Techniques
• Erection Engineering, Practices & Standards
• Fabrication Methods
• Graffiti Removal
• Innovative Materials Applications
• Lessons from Bridge Failures
• Load Testing & Instrumentation Systems
• Long Span and Movable Bridges
• LRFD
• NBIS Bridge Inspections
• Railroad and Transit Bridges
• Rehabilitation and Strengthening
• Security Issues & Solutions
• Welding of Steel Bridges

Abstracts may be submitted at the IBC Call for Papers web site.

The conference has also opened its Call for Workshops and its Call for Awards. The deadline for the Call for Workshops is Dec. 3; the deadline for the Call for Awards is Jan. 15.

The exhibit hall has also opened for general sales. Integrating Technical Sessions into the exhibit hall in 2010 dramatically increased traffic and networking for exhibitors, organizers said.